Considering that my goal is 12 books and I'm currently reading book #11, I'm pretty happy. I can't count the number of years in my life where my annual total was ZERO books. I can't wait to see my total after 6 more months!

Remember, you can find any of our monthly Surznick Reads posts here. Or if you just want to see how pretty all of our books look on our shelves, you can do that here. Okay, back on track now... here are our June books.

Sarah's Reads!

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
From Amazon.com: "Slaughterhouse-Five is one of the world's great anti-war books.
Centering on the infamous fire-bombing of Dresden, Billy Pilgrim's
odyssey through time reflects the mythic journey of our own fractured
lives as we search for meaning in what we are afraid to know."

Believe it or not, this is my first Vonnegut book. Even though he's Nick's favorite author, I've just never had any interest in Vonnegut before. Slaughterhouse-Five was pretty average to me. Vonnegut's writing style is just a little dry and choppy for my taste. The fact that the time and setting in Slaughterhouse-Five changes every couple of paragraphs didn't help either. Overall, I wouldn't read this again, but Nick urges me to read Breakfast of Champions, so I guess I haven't given up on Vonnegut for good.

My Rating: 3 Stars

Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman
From Amazon.com: "With a career, a boyfriend, and a loving family, Piper Kerman barely
resembles the reckless young woman who delivered a suitcase of drug
money ten years before. But that past has caught up with her. Convicted
and sentenced to fifteen months at the infamous federal correctional
facility in Danbury, Connecticut, the well-heeled Smith College alumna
is now inmate #11187–424—one of the millions of people who disappear
“down the rabbit hole” of the American penal system. From her first
strip search to her final release, Kerman learns to navigate this
strange world with its strictly enforced codes of behavior and arbitrary
rules. She meets women from all walks of life, who surprise her with
small tokens of generosity, hard words of wisdom, and simple acts of
acceptance. Heartbreaking, hilarious, and at times enraging, Kerman’s
story offers a rare look into the lives of women in prison—why it is we
lock so many away and what happens to them when they’re there."

Unless you're living under a rock, I'm sure you know all about OITNB. As a huge fan of the Netflix series, I was really eager to read Kerman's memoir and convinced my book club leader to put it on our schedule. I loved this book. I'm a sucker for a good memoir and Kerman wrote a great one. Her story is inspirational and the recollection of her experience in prison is captivating. If you've watched the show perhaps you, like me, were surprised at what a federal women's prison is like. The stories about the relationships Kerman had with other inmates were heartwarming and relatable. I was also happily surprised at how well the show portrays what's in this memoir. Many of the characters have different names on the series, but you can still picture each character as you're reading. If you're a fan of OITNB the series, or even if you're not, this is a must-read.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Nick's Reads!

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
From Amazon.com: "A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A
strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be
discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an
unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling
reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets
sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of
Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home
for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and
hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just
peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined
on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it
seems—they may still be alive. A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated
with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar
Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an
adventure in the shadows."

This was very cool. Sarah read it awhile back and highly recommended it. I was not disappointed. I was happy to know that the story didn't rely too heavily on the photos, but that they instead added great detail to the story. As if the imagery in the book wasn't fantastic to begin with (it really is) the photos add even more to that. The plot is unique, exciting, and mysterious. Riggs held my attention from page one and didn't let go. I highly recommend this for anyone, and I can't wait to read the second book!

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto by Chuck Klosterman
From Amazon.com: "Countless writers and artists have spoken for a generation, but no one
has done it quite like Chuck Klosterman. With an exhaustive knowledge of
popular culture and an almost effortless ability to spin brilliant
prose out of unlikely subject matter, Klosterman attacks the entire
spectrum of postmodern America: reality TV, Internet porn, Pamela
Anderson, literary Jesus freaks, and the real difference between apples
and oranges (of which there is none). And don’t even get him started on
his love life and the whole Harry-Met-Sally situation. Whether deconstructing Saved by the Bell episodes or the artistic legacy of Billy Joel, the symbolic importance of The Empire Strikes Back
or the Celtics/Lakers rivalry, Chuck will make you think, he’ll make
you laugh, and he’ll drive you insane—usually all at once."

I really like Chuck Klosterman, I really do. However, I have to admit that this book was a bit exhausting. I enjoy his commentary on all aspects of popular culture, as he has incredible insight and theories surrounding almost EVERY part of our world (from The Sims to MTV to Pamela Anderson to U2 to the Celtics vs. the Lakers). He is often funny but even more often long-winded. The book is full of words and phrases like "inasmuch" and "in and of itself" and can at times feel very "wordy." His thoughts are truly unique and entertaining, but I sometimes wish there was an easier way for him to convey them to the reader.

DISCLOSURE

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